B & B Carousell, Coney Island. August 2005. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr
Last night the Empire State Building was lit up blue and white in honor of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was a prelude to this morning’s announcement that New York City has been selected as the location for Partners in Preservation 2012. American Express, in partnership with the National Trust, will award $3 million to preserve historic places in New York City. Coney Island’s B & B Carousell is one of 40 competitors vying for your online vote.
From April 26 through May 21, New Yorkers as well as anyone who loves New York may cast one vote daily on the Partners in Preservation New York City website or via Facebook, smartphone or tablet. According to the initiative’s press release, the top four vote-getters, to be announced May 22, are guaranteed to receive grants for their preservation projects. A Partners in Preservation advisory committee of community and preservation leaders will select sites that will receive the rest of the $3 million in grants.
On May 5 and 6, the Coney Island History Project is hosting a “B & B Carousell Open House” where the first restored horse will be on display along with photos of the restoration process and archival images of the carousel. The historic carousel was saved from auction in 2005 when the City purchased it for $1.8 million. The 1919 ride was packed up and moved from its longtime location on the north side of Surf Avenue and sent to Carousels & Carvings in Ohio for restoration.
The Partners in Preservation grant would fund transport and assembly from the restoration in Ohio back to New York. In 2013, the B & B will reopen in a new pavilion next to the Parachute Jump.
Related posts on ATZ…
December 4, 2011: Brass Ring Dept: Coney Island “Carousell” RFP Up for Grabs
February 1, 2011: Bring Back the Whip! A Birthday Gift for William F Mangels
December 8, 2010: Children’s Book Tells Coney Island Carousel Carver’s Story
February 26, 2010: Made in Brooklyn: The World’s Only Jet-Powered Merry-Go-Round
Amusing the Zillion 
If your bringing back the Carousel, I hope it will include the brass rings. Without it is not a true restoration and will never have the full magic it once bestowed.